The Prior Art
The present invention is specifically for use with a particular make and model of hand gun that has proven to be very popular.
Not withstanding the popularity of this hand gun, many purchasers of it wish to personalize the hand gun by replacing the factory-supplied handgrip by a more distinctive, functional, or aesthetically-pleasing handgrip of their own choosing. The grip supplied by the factory consists of a serviceable molded plastic part of a neutral color. Many purchasers of the hand gun would prefer more decorative grips of their own choosing and of materials ranging from fine wood to bone or ivory, or rubber, and perhaps distinctively carved.
Because of the design of the factory-supplied handgrip, and the manner in which it is attached to the frame of the gun, there was no feasible way of attaching the two halves of a two-piece handgrip to the frame without having to modify the frame.
The factory-supplied handgrip is of one-piece construction and the two sides of the unitary plastic handgrip were connected by a portion that extends around the back part of the handgrip. Each of the sides includes a depressed lug that slips into an opening in the frame of the gun, and unitary plastic handgrip is secured to the frame in this position by a pin located at the lower rear portion of the handgrip. Thus, unlike certain other models of hand gun, the frame of this particular model does not include a threaded hole for receiving a screw that can be used to attach the two halves of a two-piece handgrip. Accordingly, until the present invention, it was difficult or impossible to apply customized two-piece handgrip to this particular model of gun.